Elusive as the Unicorn

‘I don’t think you should stay too much longer at the O’Donnells’,’ Paul advised lightly. ‘After all, you do have to go to work in the morning.’

She felt warmed by his concern for her. ‘I’ll be leaving soon,’ she promised him warmly. ‘Take care, darling. I love you.’

‘Don’t let Sophy talk you into anything,’ he warned harshly. ‘You know how damned pushy she can be. And I don’t want——’

‘Paul, this is a dinner party,’ Eve soothed.

‘That isn’t likely to bother Sophy,’ he scorned knowingly. ‘Even with one of her friends there.’

The mention of that ‘friend’ sobered Eve, brought vividly to mind compelling brown eyes.

‘I had better rejoin the others,’ she told Paul distractedly. ‘And don’t worry,’ she added teasingly, ‘I won’t let Sophy talk me into having my photograph as The Unicorn splashed all over the front page of the daily newspapers!’

‘I’m glad you find it all so amusing, Eve,’ Paul reproved stiffly, obviously not in the least amused himself. ‘I know how much you value your career, but it isn’t going to do my future ambitions in politics any good if your secret is made public——’

‘Paul——’

‘—especially after what Ellington-James’s wife did to him at the height of his career. She walked out on him and his young daughter seemingly without a backward glance. You know as well as I do that in political circles image is everything. As for the voters, they aren’t likely to choose a man——’

‘Paul, I was only joking about having my picture in the newspapers,’ Eve cut in exasperatedly. ‘You know I have no intention of being involved in any sort of publicity.’

‘Don’t even joke about something like that.’ The horror could be heard in his voice. ‘The subject makes me lose all my sense of humour.’

‘All right, darling,’ she acknowledged affectionately. ‘But Sophy hasn’t even brought up the subject of the winter exhibition.’ Lately!

‘I don’t like the sound of that …’

‘Oh, Paul, you’re just being silly now.’ She sighed her impatience with the subject. ‘Go and finish your meeting with Daniel Wall and forget all about this dinner party.’ Which was exactly what she intended doing when she got home! ‘I’ll call you tomorrow,’ she promised.

‘Very well,’ he accepted reluctantly. ‘But do remember what I said about Sophy.’

Eve didn’t rejoin the others in the lounge straight away, for she was a little disturbed by the discord between herself and Paul. In fact, there seemed to have been several such incidents since she had met Adam Gardener three days earlier. The sooner she persuaded Sophy to give up her ridiculous schemes the better; maybe then she could get back to living quietly, without the sort of exposure being near Adam Gardener threatened. She needed to have a serious talk with Sophy about several things!

‘That’s a big frown for such a little face,’ remarked a voice that was becoming all too familiar.

/> Eve looked up sharply to find Adam standing across the room from her, his gaze warmly caressing.

‘You didn’t have to come looking for me,’ she told him agitatedly. ‘I was just about to come through to the lounge and rejoin you all.’

‘There’s no rush.’ He crossed the room to drop down on the side of the bed beside her, the dipping of the mattress meaning she also dipped towards his heavier weight. ‘Boyfriend been giving you a hard time?’ he sympathised.

‘Certainly not.’ She stood up abruptly. ‘Paul has just been delayed longer than he anticipated, that’s all. I’m naturally disappointed that he isn’t going to be able to join me.’

‘Naturally,’ Adam agreed as he too stood up, instantly dwarfing the room.

And she had claimed it was a female guest; anyone less effeminate she was unlikely to meet. And yet he wasn’t chauvinistic either.

Eve gave him a condemning look; whether because he was once again being less than respectful about Paul, or because he intrigued her in spite of herself, she didn’t want to know.

‘I know your opinion of Paul isn’t very high …’

‘I’ve made no secret of that,’ he derided.

‘No, you haven’t,’ she snapped, anger as good a form of defence against this man as any other.

He held up his hands placatingly. ‘All right, I’ll lay off the boyfriend—for the moment,’ he added provocatively, his gaze teasing. ‘I actually came through to ask you if you could drive me back to my hotel when you leave; Sophy told me it’s on your way home.’

Sophy would! Beside the fact that the other woman’s suggestion had put her in an awkward position, it had also effectively put a stop to her confronting Sophy with her machinations once Adam had left. Clever, clever Sophy …